The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is advocating for a significantly strengthened role for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). This push aims to enhance the continent's ability to coordinate responses to public health threats effectively. The initiative follows a resolution adopted by the PAP Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs, chaired by Ghanaian legislator Frank Annoh-Dompreh.
The resolution specifically seeks deeper cooperation between the Pan-African Parliament and Africa CDC. This collaboration intends to bolster disease prevention, emergency response capabilities, and overall health security across Africa. The PAP highlighted that Africa CDC's mandate has become increasingly vital due to recurring health crises, including HIV, Ebola, COVID-19, mpox, Marburg, and cholera outbreaks.
These health emergencies have exposed critical weaknesses within African health systems. These weaknesses include fragmented institutional responsibilities, limited cross-border information sharing, slow emergency procurement processes, and inadequate emergency financing. The resolution recalls Africa CDC's establishment in 2015 and its elevation to an autonomous technical institution of the African Union in 2022. It also acknowledges the agency's authority to declare Public Health Emergencies of Continental Security, a power first used in August 2024 during the mpox outbreak.
The PAP is urging African Union member states to accelerate the integration of Africa CDC frameworks into their national laws. These frameworks cover crucial areas such as biosafety and biosecurity, national public health institutes, legal preparedness for health emergencies, and data governance. They also include local manufacturing of health products, infection prevention and control, and cross-border health cooperation. The committee also reaffirmed the Abuja Declaration commitment, which requires countries to allocate at least 15% of their national budgets to the health sector.
Furthermore, the PAP called on member states to establish statutory contingency funds to support emergency health responses. It also urged countries to strengthen health data systems and support the ratification and domestication of continental frameworks. These frameworks include the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection and the AU Data Policy Framework. The resolution encouraged faster ratification and implementation of the Treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency and the AU Model Law on Medical Products Regulation.
According to the PAP, these measures are essential to improve Africa’s capacity to manage health emergencies and reduce its reliance on external support. The committee has also requested ongoing technical support from Africa CDC for both the Pan-African Parliament and national parliaments on pandemic preparedness and intervention. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions has been proposed to provide a formal framework for cooperation through the Committee on Health and Social Affairs. The PAP believes strengthening this partnership is crucial for delivering the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda, which focuses on stronger public health governance, expanded health product manufacturing, investment in health workers, increased domestic health financing, and trusted health data.